Electric light bulb



July 6, 1937. w. SCHUMAKER ELECTRIC LIGHT BULB Filed April 4, 1935 am /0mm Patented July 6, 1937 ELECTRIC LIGHT BULB William L. Schumaker, Milwaukee, Wis. Application April 4, 1935, Serial No. 14,641

Claims.

This invention appertains to electric lighting, and more particularly to an improved electric light bulb and fixture therefor.

In floor and other type lamps embodying direct 5 and indirect lighting, it is generally customary to provide bulbs of small power for direct lighting, and bulbs of high power for the indirect lighting. This is a costly construction and the type of fixture is limited in design.

ing filaments of different power therein, and a manually actuated switch for placing the desired filament in the circuit. However, this construction requires a special structure for the bulb socket and a complicated switch structure for controlling the filaments.

Therefore, one of the primary objects of my invention is to provide novel means for automatically placing the desired filament or filaments of a lamp bulb in the circuit according to the position of the bulb, whereby the desired power for the desired purpose can be had without a complicated switch structure, or a special construction of bulb socket.

Another salient object of my invention is the provision of a lamp fixture embodying a support or base and a swinging reflector on the support for the lamp bulb for movement into either a direct lighting position or in an indirect lighting position, the bulb having a standard base and filaments of different power therein, with a globule of mercury for closing a circuit through the de{ sired filaments of the bulb according to the position of the bulb and the reflector.

35 A further important object of my invention is the provision of a lamp bulb for direct and indirect lighting having filaments of different power therein, with spaced terminals for the filaments fioor lamp constructed in accordance with my in vention for use with direct or indirect lighting, the reflector of the lamp being shown broken 55 away and in section.

It is now proposed toprovide a single bulb hav-.

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectionthrough a lamp bulb constructed in accordance with my invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter F generally indicates a floor lamp, and B my improved electric light bulb therefor.

.While I have illustrated an electric light fix-- ture of the floor type, it is to be understood that the fixture can be modified without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention.

As shown, the fixture includes a standard 5 supporting the spaced arms 6, the upper ends of which rotatably support ashaft I carrying the lamp socket and reflector 8 for the bulb B. Obviously, by disposing the reflector 8 in a lowered position, as shown in full lines in Figure 1, the lamp can be used for direct lighting, and when the reflector is swung to its raised position, as shown in dotted lines, the lamp can be used for indirect lighting.

A switch 9 of any desired type can be utilized for controlling the flow of current through the lamp socket and to the bulb B. It is to be under- ,stood that the lamp socket can be of the usual construction now found in the open market.

My improved electric lighting bulb B comprises a base II! for supporting the glass container or envelop II. The base Ill also includes the metallic electric conducting shell I2 and a central contact I3. The shell'I2 is threaded for connection with a lamp socket, and any other means of connecting a lamp bulb to various types of lamp sockets may be employed without departing from my invention.

Dispose-d within the glass envelop ll, and preferably formed integral therewith, is a hollow standard I4, which carries the centrally disposed post I5 for supporting the filaments. In the present instance, I have shown filaments I6 and I! of different characters, and the filament I6 is of the 50 watt type, and the filament I1 is of the 100 watt type. It is obvious, however, that the above specification is by example only, and that the power of the. filaments can be changed without departing from the spirit the scope of the invention.

As stated above, the post I5 supports the fila ments .in spaced relation in any desired manner,

and the filament I6 has one terminal connected,-

as at I8, to one terminal of the filament H,

which terminal is provided with a lead-in wire- I9. This wire I9 extends through the hollow positon shown in Figure 2, the conducting sub-i tube or receptacle 22 formed of insulating ma; I

This closed sleeveortube can be formed terial. integral with the base portion of the envelop- I I, if desired.

Electrically connected to the metal shell I2 is a conducting wire 21, which extends through base Ill and enters the closed sleeve, tube or receptacle 22, terminating as an electrical terminal point 25, which is. in spaced relation to the terminal point 2|.

A globule of mercury 26, or any movable substance that will conduct electricity, is placed in the tube or receptacle 22,. and when the bulb Bis inup right position, as shown in Figure 2, the electric conducting substance bridges the gap between the terminal points 2| and 25, thus completing the electrical circuit through the filament I'l. When the bulb B is-inverted from the stance moves away from the terminal points 2| and 25, which breaks the electrical connection between said terminaIathusopening the circuit through the filament ll.

Thus, it can be seen that when the bulb B is in the position shown in Figure 2, both filaments areelectrically connected, and that when the bulb is inverted from the position shown in Figure 2, the electric circuit through the filament -l'! is broken. However, the filament l6 remains electrically connected in any position.

Consequently, when the bulb B is associated with the reflector 8, and the reflector is in its lowered position, as shown in Figure 1, only the 10w wattage filament is in use producing a modified light, whereas a filament of high wattage, as required for indirectillumination, would prove too intense for this direct lighting; but

when the reflector 8 is swung to its raised position, as shown by dotted outline in Figure '1,

both the low wattage'and the high wattage filaments are brought into use producing the more intense light required 'for indirect illumination.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that I have developed a lamp bulb with an'exceptionally simple and durable means for providing a low power filament producing a modified light which is desired for direct lighting, and a high powerfilament producing the intensified light required for indirect illumination, with an internal automatic control for making this change in the intensity of light, without requiring theuse of a manually operated switch for this purpose. No extra wiring or special construction of lamp socket is required. V

Obviously, I canprov'ide a lamp bulb having a single filament or a plurality of filaments, with means for automatically opening and closingthe circuit through the single filament,.or any one or any numbereof the plurality of filaments without departing from my invention.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spiritv or the scope of the inrention, but what I=claim as new isznected with the last mentioned contact, and a mercury switch in said bulb for bridging said terminals when the bulb is in a predetermined position. a

2. An electric light bulb comprising an outer envelop having two contacts, filaments of different characters in said envelop, means electrically connecting the filaments together at one end and to one contact, means electrically connecting. the other end of one filament to the other contact, the other end of the other filament being provided with a terminal, a second terminal electrically connected with the last mentioned contact and spaced from the first terminal, a closed tubereceiving said terminals, and

a globule of mercury in said tube bridging said terminalswhen the bulb is'in a predetermined position, and movable away from the terminals when the bulb isin another position.

3. An electric light bulb comprising, an encuit arrangement, and an automatic switch in-. side said envelope electrically connecting the filaments together when the bulb is moved to a raised elevated position and for disconnecting said filaments from one another when the bulb is swung to a lowered position whereby said bulb will give one intensity of light for indirect lighting and another and lesser intensity of light for direct lighting. 7 7

l. An electric light bulb comprising, an outer envelope, filaments of different characters in said envelope in parallel circuit arrangement, and a mercury switch inside said envelope automatically electrically connecting said filaments when the bulb is swung to a raised position with thebase of the bulb lowermost, and automatically disconnecting said filaments when the bulb is swung to a lowered position with the base of the ferent characters in' said envelope in parallel circuit arrangement, means electrically connect ing the filaments'together at one end and to one contact, means'electrically connecting the other end of one filament to the other contact, the other end of the other filament being provided with a terminal, a second terminal electrically connected with the last mentioned contact and spaced from the first terminal, a receptacle disposed inside said envelope receiving said terminals, and an electrical conducting substance in so velope, filamentsin said envelope in parallel cir-,

said receptacle bridging said terminals when the bulb is in a raised elevated position with the base of the bulb'lowermost and movable away from the terminals when the bulb is swung to a low-'- ered position with'the base of the bulb uppermost, whereby said bulb will give one intensity of light for indirect lighting,'and another and lesser intensity of light for direct lighting.

WILLIAM L. SCHUMAKER. 

